Latrobe Valley
The Latrobe Valley is an inland geographical district and urban area of the Gippsland region in the state of Victoria, Australia. The traditional owners are the Brayakaulung of the Gunai nation. The district lies east of Melbourne and nestled between the Strzelecki Ranges to the south and the Baw Baw Ranges, part of the Great Dividing Range, to the north. Mount St Phillack (1,567 m (5,141 ft)) is the highest peak to the north of the Latrobe Valley, due north of Moe. The highest peak to the south is Mt Tassie (740 m (2,430 ft)), south of Traralgon.
| Latrobe Valley Victoria | |||||||||||||||
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A view of part of the Latrobe Valley, from Tyers lookout, 2013. | |||||||||||||||
Approximate Latrobe Valley area, comprising the Baw Baw Shire and City of Latrobe local government areas. | |||||||||||||||
Latrobe Valley | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 38°10′50″S 146°16′42″E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 125,000 | ||||||||||||||
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| Region | Gippsland | ||||||||||||||
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| Regions of Gippsland |
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The area has three major centres, from west to east, Moe, Morwell and Traralgon, with minor centres including Churchill, Yinnar, Glengarry, and Tyers. The population of the Latrobe Valley is approximately 125,000.
The valley draws its name from the Latrobe River which flows eastward, through the valley. According to Les Blake, in 1841 William Adams Brodribb, an early European settler, named the river in honour of Charles La Trobe, Lieutenant Governor of the Port Phillip District. A. W. Reed also attributes Brodribb to naming the river in honour of La Trobe; yet Reed claims that the river was discovered by Angus McMillan in 1840 who named the watercourse as Glengarry River.